Wintery Drabbles
by stickysugar
Summary: A series of winter themed drabbles starring Z.W.E.I, Patroklos and Viola, set during their journey to find Tira and Pyrrha. (A friend provided the prompts and not all of them suited the SC world but I did my best). Some definite Z.W.E.I/Patroklos and some Z.W.E.I/Viola if you squint.
1. 1-10

**Sweaters**

Patroklos shivered, tugging his stole up further on his shoulders so as to better cover the back of his neck. He inspected his companion out of the corner of his eye. "Aren't you cold wearing that stupid thing?" He asked.

Z.W.E.I. looked down as if to regard his own clothing. He was of course, wearing his distinctive purple coat, bearing his chest.

"No," Z.W.E.I. answered. "Are you cold?" He asked, smirking at the Athenian's vulnerability. Patroklos ignored the question. "I can see your breath," he pointed out.

Z.W.E.I. blew in Patroklos' face. "Good for you."

Patroklos rolled his eyes. To be honest, he couldn't really imagine Z.W.E.I. in a sweater anyway.

**Snowball Fights **

"Shit!" Patroklos scraped the freezing snow off his pants. The snow had already melted a bit, seeping through to his legs. As if he wasn't cold enough. "Dammit, Z.W.E.I…"

Viola narrowed her eyes. "It didn't occur to you to block the snowball with your shield..?"

Z.W.E.I. finally stopped laughing. "That's what I thought he was going to do!" He exclaimed. "I guess I overestimated you, Patroklos…"

Patroklos grabbed a lump of snow and began shaping it into a globe.

"Bring it on," Z.W.E.I. taunted. "It's only fair."

Patroklos nodded and sent the snowball flying forward, where it missed Z.W.E.I. completely.

The older man chuckled. "That was terrible..."

"… Was it?" Patroklos asked, pointing.

Z.W.E.I. turned to see Viola numbly staring at her dress, where a now flattened snowball rested. "Oh…"

**Hot Chocolate/Hot Drinks**

Z.W.E.I. eyed the cup suspiciously before turning to Viola. "What is this?"

"It's tea, Z.W.E.I," the young woman replied, watching the steam rise out of her cup.

"I got that," the German said, not taking his eyes off the liquid. "Why's it yellow?"

Viola gave the man a blank look. "Just try it." She took a small sip.

"It looks like-"

"Don't."

Z.W.E.I. laughed. "Fine." He brought the cup up to his lips and drank. "… It doesn't taste like anything," he observed, disappointed.

Viola took another sip. "I like it."

Z.W.E.I. nudged his cup towards Viola. "You can have mine, then."

**Books**

"What are you reading?" Z.W.E.I. asked, plucking a book from Patroklos' hands. "_'__How to Find Your Long Lost Sister?_'" He guessed. "Or maybe, '_Five Easy Steps to Thwarting a Malfested._'"

Patroklos bit his tongue, resisting the urge to respond to Z.W.E.I.'s teasing. "Don't talk about my sister," the Athenian replied coolly, holding his hand out in anticipation of the return of his tome.

"I didn't," Z.W.E.I. said. "Now are you gonna answer my question?"

Patroklos shook his head. "I'm not reading anything. I'm writing."

Z.W.E.I. tilted his head. "You haven't got anything to write with."

"I know that," Patroklos said. "I'm just thinking about what I'm going to write in the future."

"And what are you going to write?"

"I'm going to write about a certain werewolf who won't leave me alone," Patroklos answered with a scowl.

**Ice Skating**

Patroklos offered his hand to Viola, eyeing the large patch of ice in the trio's way.

Viola just looked at the Athenian's outstretched hand. "I'm fine," she said finally, stepping forward onto the ice with light, careful steps.

Patroklos rolled his eyes. Served him right for trying to be polite to his strange companions, he supposed. He followed after Viola, trying not to lose his footing. His efforts only bought him a few embarrassment free steps before he slipped, landing on his rear.

"Hmph." Z.W.E.I. appeared behind Patroklos, offering him his hand. "Just like a dog to rush into things without thinking."

"What are you talking about?" Patroklos asked, begrudgingly taking Z.W.E.I.'s hand.

"Walk like this," Z.W.E.I. suggested, sliding one foot forward, and then the other.

Patroklos frowned, unsure.

**Parkas/Big Jackets**

Z.W.E.I. removed his jacket, opting to hang it on a low tree branch.

Viola gingerly fingered the cloth. "It's soaked."

"Yeah. I'll have to let it dry off before we can go any further," Z.W.E.I. reasoned.

Viola nodded in agreement.

Z.W.E.I. turned to look at Patroklos and smirked. "Hey now. You're gonna embarrass me if you keep staring like that."

Patroklos frowned, caught off guard. "I wasn't staring!"

"What caught your eye?" Z.W.E.I. asked, ignoring Patroklos. "My tattoo? My flawless body?"

Patroklos turned to Viola. "Let me know when your friend is done being an idiot."

Viola just shook her head.

**Sledding**

The trio looked down from their perch at the edge of the snow covered cliff in front of them. It stretched out to both sides, seemingly endless.

"How the hell are we supposed to get past this?" Patroklos whined.

Viola surveyed their surroundings. "It's going to take days to go around it…"

"We don't have to go around it," Z.W.E.I. said suddenly. "We can sled down!"

Patroklos frowned. "It's too steep to sled down, Z.W.E.I."

"Those are the words of a coward," Z.W.E.I. replied. "Now help me find some wood. I'll build a big sled-"

"Don't you think that'll take just as long as going around the cliff?!" Patroklos asked, beginning to believe he was the only one with any sense in the group.

**Snow Angels**

Z.W.E.I. smiled at the sight of the vast, untouched snow. "You know what snow like this is good for?" He asked Patroklos.

"… What?" Patroklos asked, hoping he wouldn't regret humoring the older man.

"Snow angels!" Z.W.E.I. turned and fell backwards into the snow, waving his arms and legs.

Patroklos turned to Viola. "Don't we have better things to do? Like look for my sister and the malfested who took her from me?"

Z.W.E.I. huffed. "Loosen up, Patroklos. You've been under the command of that bastard Graf Dumas for who knows how long—and I bet you didn't get to make very many snow angels in that time, right?"

**Fireplace/Candles**

Z.W.E.I. looked across the room to Patroklos, who was already in bed. "Should I blow out the candle?" Z.W.E.I. asked.

"Let it burn out," Patroklos mumbled, his voice thick with sleep.

"Scared of the dark?" Z.W.E.I. asked. Patroklos didn't respond.

"I know you didn't fall asleep that fast…" Z.W.E.I. continued, lowering his voice just in case Patroklos really had fallen asleep. The Athenian didn't enjoy having his sleep interrupted, especially when Z.W.E.I. was the one performing said interrupting.

Z.W.E.I. settled into his own bed, his gaze coming to rest on the still-burning candle. He supposed it did cast a nice glow on things…

**Snowed In**

"What do you mean we can't leave?" Patroklos hissed, his demeanor more menacing than the situation seemed to call for.

"You physically can't leave," the female innkeeper meekly explained. "The snow's packed too tightly around the doors and windows. No one can leave."

"She doesn't mean that as a challenge, Z.W.E.I," Viola warned the thoughtful man next to her.

Z.W.E.I. shrugged. "If we have to stay, then we have to stay."

A disturbed expression crossed Patroklos' face. "How can you say that? My sister is still out there! We can't afford anymore distractions!"

Z.W.E.I. placed a hand on the Athenian's shoulder. "Your sister made it this long. Who's to say she can't handle another day?"


	2. 11-20

**Quilts**

Patroklos pulled the quilt off the bed, smiling appreciatively. "Looks warm," he noted.

Z.W.E.I. reached over and felt the blanket. "It's nice," he agreed, resting his chin on the Athenian's shoulder. "If you like the thought of waking up in the middle of the night covered in sweat."

Patroklos frowned, yanking the quilt back. "We can't all be ridiculously hot-blooded. Some of us have bodies that actually respond to changes in weather."

"Such a hard life that must be," Z.W.E.I. replied with a smile. "But if you behave yourself, I might be persuaded to keep you warm tonight."

The Athenian crossed his arms, blushing. "That won't be necessary."

**Mistletoe**

"Hey, come 'ere," Z.W.E.I. said, motioning to Patroklos.

Patroklos took a few steps toward the other man, coming to a stop in front of him. "What is-"

Z.W.E.I. leaned forward, pressing his lips to Patroklos'. Patroklos squirmed, but Z.W.E.I.'s hand on his back held him firmly in place.

"What are you doing?" Patroklos hissed once the other man pulled away.

Z.W.E.I. silently reached up and flicked the small plant hanging above the pair.

Patroklos turned red. "Mistletoe…"

"Maybe you would have noticed if you paid more attention."

Patroklos frowned. "Or maybe I did notice, and I just thought you would be able to control yourself."

**Snowmen**

Viola placed her hand on the head of the snowman. It was about as tall as her. Whoever made it had obviously put a lot of time into it.

"Cute," Z.W.E.I. commented, looking over. "This is the first snowman I've seen in a while."

Viola pursed her lips, thoughtful. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen a snowman, or if she had ever seen one before. She certainly knew what one was, but…

"Hey." Z.W.E.I. waved a hand in front of Viola's face. "We've got to keep moving."

Viola nodded. It was best to continue on their way. Worrying about old, forgotten memories would help no one, now.

**Hot Baths**

Patroklos settled into the warm water with a happy sigh. It had been awhile since he could enjoy such a luxury—too long, in fact. He supposed it was worth it to find Pyrrha, though. Once Patroklos found his sister, they could spend their lives together peacefully, and there would be plenty of time for warm baths.

Patroklos cupped the clear water in his hands, watching the liquid slowly drain out of them. There was so much he still didn't know about Pyrrha… She might not even like hot baths.

Patroklos shook his head and leaned back. Who the hell didn't enjoy a warm bath?

**Winter Hats and Mittens**

Z.W.E.I. ran a finger down the seam of Patroklos' glove. "I think mittens would suit you better," the older man said.

Patroklos raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you think?"

"Mittens would greatly reduce his dexterity when fighting," Viola piped in.

"I was kidding," Z.W.E.I. said with a sigh. His companions didn't seem to be in a very happy mood. Z.W.E.I. had to admit that even he was getting a little stir-crazy, sitting here in a small cave; trying to wait out the raging snowstorm.

"How about a hat?" Z.W.E.I. tried again, looking to get a rise out of the Athenian.

"How about you be quiet?"

**Shaking From the Cold**

Patroklos curled his hands into tight fists, trying to keep from shivering in the bitter cold. His traveling companions seemed as unaffected as polar bears by the cool winds bearing down on them, and Patroklos didn't look forward to Z.W.E.I. noticing his reaction to the cold.

"You should run up ahead, Patroklos," Viola suggested. "It'll keep you warm."

"W—warm?" Patroklos asked, his teeth beginning to chatter. "I am warm."

"Oh, you certainly look it…" Z.W.E.I. shook his head. "Stubborn dog."

"Sh—shut up! I'm not a dog!"

"You're certainly not as obedient as one," Z.W.E.I. reasoned. "Did you only behave that way for your master, Graf Dumas?"

**Snow Shoveling**

Viola watched the men shovel snow tirelessly, creating neat piles on the side of the road.

"I don't envy those guys one bit," Z.W.E.I. commented as they passed.

"It's a lot of work," Patroklos agreed. "Graf Dumas made me put malfested to work shoveling snow outside of his fortress. Many would collapse of exhaustion."

"They didn't collapse of exhaustion because it was hard work, idiot. They collapsed because you worked those innocent people to death," Z.W.E.I. replied, frowning.

The somber expression on Patroklos' face changed to one of anger. "You don't think I know that?" Patroklos settled his fiery gaze on the ground in front of him. "There's nothing to be done about it now."

**Hibernate/Sleep**

Patroklos shut his eyes. Normally, the cold ground would keep him from falling asleep for at least an hour or so. Tonight however, the Athenian was exhausted. He almost wished he didn't have to get up in the morning. But…

Patroklos opened his eyes wearily. Perhaps sleep wasn't going to come as easily as he had thought. Viola lay curled up by the fire, the peaceful expression on her face signaling she was asleep. Z.W.E.I. was resting against a large tree, his chin against his chest.

Rolling over, Patroklos wrapped his arms around himself and closed his eyes once more.

**Cookies/Cake/Gingerbread**

"I don't like sweets," Z.W.E.I. said, refusing the cookie Patroklos offered him.

"I don't like them either," Patroklos complained. "Viola?" He held the cookie out to the girl next to him.

The fortune teller stared at the cookie. "If you don't like sweets, why did you accept the gift?"

Patroklos rolled his eyes. "It's rude to refuse a gift." A young girl had handed it to Patroklos as they exited the small town. The way she smiled made it impossible for the Athenian to say no.

"Alright," Viola said, taking the baked good from Patroklos' hand. She carefully took a bite.

**Scarves**

Patroklos flopped down onto his bed, wearily watching Z.W.E.I. settle in. "What're the scarves for?"

Z.W.E.I, Patroklos and Viola had passed through a market earlier that day, and Z.W.E.I. had strangely made a point to purchase two fleece scarves—strange because Z.W.E.I. had gone all this time without so much as a shirt underneath his jacket. But maybe the older man was finally giving in to the low temperatures, Patroklos thought.

Z.W.E.I. stood at the foot of Patroklos' bed, scarves in hand. "You really want to know?"

Patroklos narrowed his eyes. Z.W.E.I. was up to something. "I'm not so sure anymore," Patroklos replied.

Z.W.E.I. shrugged and sat on his bed, not taking his eyes off the scarves in his hands. Patroklos shut his eyes and the two of them stood in silence a while.

Sighing, Patroklos sat up, supposing that he should remove his heavy outerwear. Sleeping in them would ensure that he would wake up stiff in the morning. The young man stood and took off most of his clothing, leaving only his undershirt and trousers. Halfway through, Patroklos blushed, turning to Z.W.E.I. "You could have the decency to look away," Patroklos spat, embarrassed.

Z.W.E.I. closed his eyes and smiled, not looking even a little ashamed. "Wasn't much of a show anyway."

Patroklos rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he whispered, lying back down on the bed.

"… You really don't want to know about the scarves?"

Patroklos huffed. "Fine. Tell me." Maybe once Z.W.E.I. explained it to him, the older man would be quiet and let Patroklos sleep.

Z.W.E.I. stood and approached Patroklos' bed once more. "First…"

Patroklos felt the bed shift with the added weight of the other man. Z.W.E.I. was now directly over him. The Athenian squirmed a bit. He understood where this explanation was eventually leading, but not how.

Z.W.E.I. lowered his head and kissed the other man. Patroklos was surprised to find that this was not a gentle, lead-in sort of kiss, but a full blown, lip biting, reflex melting one. No doubt, Z.W.E.I. had been thinking about this for the better part of the day—his patience could only last so long.

Patroklos tried to move his arm to embrace the other man, but he quickly found that he couldn't move it from its spot above his head. Worried, Patroklos tried again, to no avail.

"Stop," Patroklos hissed, shoving Z.W.E.I. away with his other hand. The Athenian glanced upwards to see what was halting his movement and scowled.

One of the scarves was tied around his wrist; the other end secured to the bedpost. Before Patroklos could react to his discovery, his other wrist was shoved against the first; the scarf following close behind. He writhed from side to side, trying to wrest his arm from Z.W.E.I.'s grip, but his efforts accomplished nothing. Z.W.E.I. laughed, deftly tying a thick knot.

"Dammit," Patroklos breathed. He had let his guard down too easily, and now Z.W.E.I. had the upper hand. To Patroklos' despair, it seemed that the older man always had the advantage, no matter how hard the Athenian tried to best him.

After taking a moment to appreciate his handiwork, Z.W.E.I. put his mouth to Patroklos' ear. "It's just cloth, you know."

Patroklos nodded shortly. In his own way, Z.W.E.I. was trying to share some of the control he had over his situation. Patroklos was sure that if he pulled hard enough, he could tear the scarves and free himself. He was also sure, however, that Z.W.E.I. would give him plenty of reasons not to.

_Author's Note: Heh heh, can you tell I really liked the 'Scarves' prompt? I'll definitely have to expand on that one in the future..._


	3. 21-30

_Author's Note: Just to clear up any potential confusion, there are three versions of the 'Sick' prompt, each one having a different member of the trio as the sick one._

**Soup**

Viola stirred her soup, trying to evenly disperse the warmth from the fire.

"Is it bad?" Z.W.E.I. asked, hesitating to place a spoonful of the green muck in his mouth.

"I haven't tried it yet," Viola admitted.

Z.W.E.I. relaxed a bit and put his spoon in his mouth. He grimaced.

"How is it?" Viola asked.

"Fucking awful," Z.W.E.I. replied, snatching Viola's bowl away from her.

"Don't be embarrassed," the fortune teller said. "I don't know how to make soup either."

Z.W.E.I. just looked at the bowls, frowning. "What are we supposed to eat now..?" Neither of them knew when they would reach the next town, and food was starting to become scarce.

**Huddle for Warmth**

Even though it would kill him to admit it, Patroklos knew that sitting under the large quilt next to Z.W.E.I, with Viola on the other side, was much more preferable than sitting in the cold by his lonesome. Warmer, too.

Patroklos was extremely fatigued, but the biting cold all around him was keeping him awake. Unconsciously he huddled closer to Z.W.E.I, eager to warm up. The other man didn't seem to notice. After a few minutes, Patroklos closed his eyes, reasoning that now he could fall asleep without freezing to death in the night. Sleep came quickly, and Patroklos didn't open his eyes again until the morning.

**Sick**

1. Patroklos stared up at the ceiling for what seemed like hours. It was exhausting to keep his eyes open, but for some reason, he didn't feel much like sleeping, either.

"What are you looking at?"

Patroklos turned his head to the side; another monumental feat in his current state. Z.W.E.I. was sitting next to the bed, hovering over him. "I'm looking at the sky," Patroklos managed, his voice low and scratchy.

Z.W.E.I. narrowed his eyes and looked to the ceiling, and then back to Patroklos. "How's the weather looking?"

Patroklos frowned, not understanding. "… What?"

Z.W.E.I. shook his head. "Nothing."

2. Patroklos bit his lip, regarding the man across from him. Z.W.E.I.'s face was locked into an expression of worry, staring down at the girl on the bed between them.

Viola looked even paler than usual, her skin almost the color of her long, white hair. She had been sleeping for hours now; her eyes racing back and forth behind her eyelids.

"Has her fever gone down?" Patroklos didn't dare check himself. Z.W.E.I. had become like a mother bear, not letting anyone get to close to the sickly fortune teller.

"No," Z.W.E.I. replied, not looking up.

Patroklos nodded. "I wonder how long she's going to be like this…"

3. "He's going to be fine," Viola said. Her expression didn't seem to match her assertion. The fortune teller's face betrayed no emotion.

Patroklos didn't want to admit how worried he was about Z.W.E.I.'s condition. Viola didn't seem worried at all, and Patroklos didn't want to set her off. And it would of course be a bad move to worry Z.W.E.I.—he had enough to worry about.

"… He seems to be in a lot of pain," Patroklos began.

Viola made a slight motion with her shoulders, as if shrugging. "For now."

Patroklos frowned. Upon noticing his expression, Viola smiled. "You don't understand. Z.W.E.I. is always fine."

**Socks/Boots**

Z.W.E.I. picked up a pair of pink snow boots, examining them at arm's length. "Do you think these would fit Patroklos?" Z.W.E.I. asked his female companion.

"He doesn't like pink," Viola replied. "And his current shoes are in good condition."

Z.W.E.I. shrugged. "It's a joke. It's supposed to be funny."

The fortune teller merely shook her head in response. "You're going to waste money on a 'joke'?"

Z.W.E.I. pursed his lips, placing the shoes back on their shelf. "I guess not."

"It's good to show restraint every once in a while," Viola complimented.

Z.W.E.I. shook his head with a snort. "Boring, too."

**Trade Gifts/Donate**

The fortune teller closed her eyes, just as Z.W.E.I. had asked her too. She could feel a metal string pooling into her open palms, followed by a soft, 'thunk.'

Viola opened her eyes and found herself staring down at a carefully crafted silver necklace. The pendant was in the shape of a wolf's head. Viola couldn't remember the last time someone had given her a gift. "… Thank you, Z.W.E.I."

Z.W.E.I. just smiled. "You like it?"

The fortune teller nodded, and then froze. "I… I didn't get you anything," she admitted.

Z.W.E.I.'s smile didn't fade. "Don't worry about it. There's nothing I want anyway."

**Foggy Breaths**

"Stupid werewolf," Patroklos muttered.

"What happened now?" Viola asked, although she wasn't sure that she really wanted to know.

Patroklos shook his head. He looked almost too angry to speak. "I don't even want to think about it, let alone talk about it!"

Viola didn't reply. Sometimes it was better to just let Patroklos vent.

"Your idiotic friend won't listen to reason," Patroklos continued. "I kept telling him that he should purchase something warmer. But he insists he isn't cold."

"You can't force him," Viola replied.

"The point is that he was lying! I could see his breath! Of course he's cold!"

**Ski**

"Have you ever been skiing, Patroklos?"

Patroklos raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"I'll take that as a no," Z.W.E.I. said with a laugh. "People ski by securing their feet to pieces of wood, and then they glide down a snow covered hill."

"… Why would I have ever done that?" Patroklos asked.

"It's supposed to be fun. You've heard of 'fun' before, haven't you?"

Patroklos ignored Z.W.E.I. "I suppose you've done it, then?"

"Never really got the chance to," Z.W.E.I. said. "Maybe one day, when we're done with all this bullshit…"

Patroklos nodded, not really listening. He instead thought of Pyrrha. He wondered if, in all the time they had been apart… Had she ever been skiing?

**Knitting**

Patroklos watched Z.W.E.I. toss a knitting needle into the air and catch it for the umpteenth time. The older man had found the needle on the ground and decided for whatever reason to keep it. It's not as though he knew how to knit. Although, even if he did, one knitting needle and nothing else wouldn't do him much good.

For now, it was at least mildly entertaining to the Athenian to watch Z.W.E.I. send the knitting needle flying into the air, only to hold out his hand and wait for gravity to pull the needle back. Much better than watching the inside of his own eyelids, Patroklos supposed.

**Power Outage**

Patroklos stumbled into the dark room, squinting. The inn had no more candles, which he supposed would make the night a little more interesting than usual.

Not that he had much need for the light. He and his companions were only there to sleep; an action that could be easily accomplished in the dark.

Patroklos felt around for his bed, locating it after a few moments of impotently groping through the dark. He could hear Z.W.E.I. doing the same. The Athenian sat down on the bed and began removing his clothing.

"Hey." Z.W.E.I.'s voice seemed clearer than usual in the encompassing gloom. "Aren't you scared of the dark?"

Patroklos frowned. "When did I say that?"

**Sing Loudly and/or Obnoxiously**

Patroklos stared up at the canopy of trees above the trio.

"What're you looking for?" Z.W.E.I. asked.

Patroklos shook his head. "All I hear are those stupid birds, but I don't see any."

"Of course not," Viola piped in. Patroklos gave her a look, silently asking for an explanation.

"They have many predators," Viola continued. "Including us."

Z.W.E.I. pursed his lips. "Who wants to eat a couple of tiny songbirds?"

Viola smiled. "That's a feast for some."

Patroklos shrugged. "I'd kill them just to get them to be quiet. Their stupid tweeting is getting on my nerves."

"I've often thought the same about you," Z.W.E.I. sighed.

**Family/Friend Pictures**

"So, your sister," Z.W.E.I. began. Patroklos bristled, ready for some insensitive comment to fly out of the other man's mouth.

"Is she pretty?" Z.W.E.I. finished.

Patroklos narrowed his eyes. "I don't know what she looks like. We were very young when we were separated."

"… So you're saying she might've gotten ugly after all this time?"

Patroklos turned to face Z.W.E.I. "Of course not! She's my sister! Why are you even asking, anyway?"

Z.W.E.I. shrugged. "Just wondering if she's as pretty as you."

Patroklos glared at the other man. "… I'm not pretty," he said.

"Well you don't want me referring to your sister as 'handsome,' do you?"


End file.
